Concerning homosexuality and syphilis, an early publication to propose the link between homosexuality contributing to the spread of the sexually transmitted diseasesyphilis was the English publication Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine in 1962.[1] The Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine made the following statement: "The importance of homosexual practices in the spread of venereal diseases has attracted particular attention recently. It almost seems that these practices are keeping syphilis alive in this country." [1]

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says homosexual men accounted for 65 percent of the nearly 12,000 cases of syphilis in the United States in 2007, making them the “primary driver” of increased syphilis rates overall.

In a report on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) issued Tuesday, the government said syphilis, a disease that was almost eliminated as a public health threat less than 10 years ago, is on the rise -- with cases increasing each year since 2000.[2]

”

The CDC also stated that their data suggests that approximately 64 percent of all adult primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2004 were among men who have sex with men.[3] In 2003 in the United States syphilis rates were epidemic among homosexuals in urban areas.[4]

Medical literature shows homosexuals to be at especially high risk for syphilis. The Archives of Internal Medicine reported on a study in 1991 that found, "Homosexually active men are significantly more likely to report syphilis and less likely to present with primary syphilis than heterosexual men." The British Co-operative Clinical Group noted that homosexuals acquired syphilis at a rate ten times that of heterosexuals. Other journals also note a high correlation of homosexuality and syphilis.[5]

”

The medical literature has many articles associating homosexuality with syphilis or reporting syphilis is increasing among homosexual men in various countries (syphilis is increasing in many developed countries among the homosexual men population). [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

British Medical Journal Overview of Homosexuality and Syphilis

Between the 1960s and the late 1970s homosexually acquired syphilitic infection increased, in keeping with liberalization of attitudes towards homosexual behaviour.7 Changes in behaviour in response to HIV/AIDS, particularly among homosexual men, may have contributed to dramatic reductions in syphilis in the 1980s. During the 1990s, until 1998, the number of cases of infectious syphilis diagnosed remained stable among both sexes in England, but then more than doubled between 1998 and 2000 (from 172 to 372) in men and rose by 53% (102 to 156) in women (figure).8 In 2000, 48% of syphilis infections in men were homosexually acquired, rates being highest in London (men 2.9/100 000; women 0.8/100 000) and in north west England (men 2.0/100 000; women 0.2/100 000) regions. The increases that have been observed over recent years are largely due to several localized outbreaks.[20]

”

Neurosyphilis and Urban Homosexual Populations in the United States

The LA Weekly reported the following in July of 2007:

“

On June 29, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that neurosyphilis — a serious and rare form of syphilis, which can lead to blindness and stroke — had been found in HIV-positive gay and bisexual men in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago and New York...

Critics are peeved that government bureaucrats in Los Angeles County, despite the raging syphilis and emergent neurosyphilis in gay men, have leisurely spent their time over the past year developing and testing yet another marketing campaign.[21]

Peter LaBarbera reported relative to the issue of neurosyphilis and homosexuality:

“

The increase in syphilis cases among gay men, particularly among those who are HIV positive, has been a concern for years. Most troubling is the occurrence of early neurosyphilis, when the infection spreads to the central nervous system and the brain.

Now a review of 170 possible neurosyphilis cases in four cities – Los Angeles (74), New York (47), Chicago (32) and San Diego (17) – has shed new light on the risks for HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). The review was published in the June 28 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.”

The report looked at cases over a 30-month period, January 2002 to June 2004, and narrowed them to 99 patients who had evidence of syphilis in their blood and physical symptoms compatible with neurosyphilis. Of the total, 57 self-identified as MSM, while 49 were HIV positive.[22]